Matthew 11:20-24

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jesus makes a couple of interesting statements about these unrepentant cities who won’t change. They are being denounced “because they did not repent”. Remember that repent is metanoeo, which means change the way your think. It does not mean feel about what what you do and turn from your ways. It means change your thinking. Jesus was pointing out that these cities would not change the way they think.

What ways of thinking did they not change? It’s not really clear, but Jesus did say that “mighty works” had been done in those cities and their thinking didn’t change. When Jesus does mighty works, it’s to demonstrate that the kingdom of God was at hand. The Gospel was being demonstrated to them through these mighty works, but they still chose to reject Christ.

When Jesus talks about these cities, comparing Chorazin and Bethsaida to Tyre and Sidon, he said “it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.” And the same with Capernaum and Sodom. “More tolerable on the day of judgement.”

What is that judgement and why will it be more bearable? I don’t have all the answers, my here’s my speculation. Those cities before Christ (Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom) did not reject Christ. They rejected God’s law. Christ is the payment for all sin, and these new cities are rejecting their payment for sin, which means they will face a very serious judgement. The other, pre-Christ, cities will face a different judgement. I’m not sure what that is, but it’s different. It’s before there was any payment for sin.

Matthew 11:27

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

This incredible symbiotic relationship between the Father and Son is really amazing. No one knows the Son except the Father. No one knows the Father, except the Son and anyone whom the son reveals him to.

Did you hear the incredible grace in that? Knowing the Father doesn’t require a bunch of work. While prayer, fasting, Bible study, and all those things are good, they don’t reveal the Father to you. Jesus reveals the Father to you. It’s all about him, not what you do. He is doing all the work for you. That is incredible grace!